He's brand new to Paducah, hardly knows a soul and look how darling he is! Rushabh Shah, 23, is Paducah's newest hottie. Born in India (the country), brought up outside Columbia (the District of) and now working in Livingston (the county), Rushabh brings big city culture to the limestone quarries! Rushabh Shah, you are cute, cute, cute, no doubt about it! OK, let's all learn to pronounce your name properly.
Rushabh.
Say again?
Roo-shub is actually how you would say it phonetically, like the first syllable of rooster combined with shrub, minus the r.
OK, got it. Roo — accent on the Roo. Roo-shub. Rushabh. We can do that! I bet you have a nickname, though. Do you have a nickname?
A lot of my guy friends call me Rush (Roosh), and I once had a lady friend in college call me Rushy (Rooshy). I’m not exactly sure how I feel about the latter nickname.
Speaking of lady friends, there are hundreds of hot gals pictured with you in your Facebook photos!
You're exaggerating.
Well, OK, there are lots of lady friends on your Facebook.I actually paid all of those ladies in my Facebook pictures to pose with me. Do you think I would have created a profile without being able to post pictures that made me look like I'm popular?
I don't think you had to pay anyone to pose with you. You're dar-ling! So you're from Washington, D.C.?
I grew up in the Virginian suburbs of the District of Columbia. My family moved to northern Virginia when I was between 2 and 3 years old. My mother is a senior accountant for Raytheon, my oldest sister is a business intelligence analyst for Strayer and my other sister is a senior financial analyst for Maximus. I am the only one who decided not to go into the field of business, which worked out well for me.
Wow, you grew up in a house full of women! Did you love that?
It had its pros and cons. I was never able to get in a word when all three were around, but at least now I know more about women than my friends with only brothers. I must say it really sucked never winning an argument.
Yeah, well, better to get used to it early on. And you graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University last December, yes?Yes, it took me four and a half years, but I finally graduated from Virginia Tech with a Mining & Minerals Engineering degree and a minor in Business Leadership.
Why engineering?
I was interested in being an engineer because most of the male members of my extended family are or were engineers, and I remember thinking in high school, it seemed like I could make a lot of money with an engineering degree.
Oh! And do you?
Let’s just say I make enough money to drive a sporty four-cylinder 1997 Toyota Corolla, a car so hot it would make any 15-year-old learner’s permit holder jealous. But on a more serious note, I do make enough to take a girl out on a nice date.
Rock on! Speaking of rocks…
Yes, I specifically chose mining engineering because I like the fact that I can spend my day in the field or in the office, and there are a lot of management opportunities in the industry. I also like the fact that I get to blow things up every now and then.
Then what happened after graduation?I decided I needed to go on a trip before spending the rest of my life working, so I went on a cruise that started from Charleston and went to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Key West. Besides that, I spent a lot of time catching up on the sleep that I missed out on during college. And I visited friends and family that I would not see for a while.
How on earth did you get to Livingston County?
The company I work for came to Virginia Tech for on-campus recruiting. I interviewed and wanted to work at one of their sites in Roanoke, Va., but they didn’t need more employees there at the time. They did like me, though, and ended up offering me a job at one of their new sites in Kentucky.
I was reluctant at first, but then I met the people I would be working with, and I liked the company’s values, so I accepted their offer.
What does Titan America do?
Titan America is a subsidiary of Titan Cement, which is a Greek cement manufacturer. Titan America purchased a limestone quarry in Western Kentucky from Jim Smith Contracting a little over a year ago, and decided to name the facility Cumberland Resources — probably because it’s on the Cumberland River. A lot of the rock we produce goes down to Louisiana and Mississippi for hurricane reconstruction.
Is this where you get to blow things up?
One of the contractors we hire is a blasting company that fills up holes with ammonium nitrate fuel oil and blows up large volumes of limestone. It’s pretty cool to watch — you just don’t want to get too close when the explosives go off.
I guess not! So what's your job there?My official title is process/production engineer, but no one is exactly sure what my role is. You can call me a jack-of-all-trades, but one that doesn’t have nearly enough experience. I do everything from hiring contractors to supervising laborers to purchasing equipment.
Do you enjoy it? What's the best part?
I must say I actually do enjoy my job. For the first time in my life, I don’t dread going to work every day. The best part is getting to be outdoors on a beautiful day and working in an environment where anything is possible.
What's the toughest part?
Supervising men who are old enough to be my father or grandfather. I catch a lot of grief from the workers because they think I’m just book-smart. It’s an everyday struggle to show that I can learn things faster than the average person and that my knowledge of the operations is better than they think.
So you moved here in February. Have you met many people?
I have not met many people at all because I work long hours, and usually you have to know people to meet people.
Ah, you gotta go to the 20/30 Group Mix@6 on Wednesdays at Di Fratelli!
When I heard of the gatherings, I was not getting home from work until close to 7 p.m., and I didn’t want to show up late.
Well, you're in luck! Mix@6 doesn't start until around 8 p.m.!
OK, I'll give it a try sometime.
So tell us about your Indian descent! Were your folks born in India?
I am 100 percent Indian, and yes, both of my parents were born in India. I was actually born in India, but I was a baby when we left the country.
What brought them to the U.S.?
The career opportunities and fantastic education system. They also had a couple of friends and family members who had moved to the U.S. and made a successful transition, so they knew we could do it too.
Do you have any customs that you're particularly fond of?
Eating Indian food, simply because I love eating, and the food from India is incredibly delicious.
I love Indian food! What's your favorite dish?
My favorite is sautéed and curried okra and potatoes with flatbread.
Delish! Is your mom a great cook?
My mom is the best cook. My sisters and I told her she should open her own restaurant. But when she said we would be her labor, that idea was quickly dropped.
Hah! I'll bet! OK, so on to your love life. Are you open to dating any sort of gal or does she have to be of Indian descent?
I don’t care if the girl I date is brown, black, white or orange. I think it’s unfair to the female gender — and me — to discriminate who I like based on things that cannot be changed, like skin color or racial background.
Rock on! What kind of gal are you looking for?
I’m looking for a girl who is, of course, pretty, and knows how to laugh. A girl who doesn’t understand jokes or who has no sense of humor probably wouldn’t work out too well for me. Also, a girl who could cook would be a huge bonus because I have no idea what I’m doing in the kitchen.
So how are you feeding yourself? These food stamps do me pretty well. I’m just kidding, but I have seen myself eating out a lot more often. When I miss the home cooking, I throw some pre-packaged Indian food in the microwave and in a couple of minutes I am good to go.
What's your idea of a great date?
My idea of a great date is doing something other than the traditional dinner and a movie, although I realize sometimes that is the best option. Going bowling, playing mini-golf or just sitting around having a couple of drinks would be nice.
I have never been skydiving, and that would be a terrific first date, but then again I wouldn’t want to scare my date off before I even got a chance to know her.
Yeah, that would be quite a leap for a first date. Get it? Skydiving? Leap? If you're looking for a sense of humor, we Kentucky gals have it!
If only you were single, Mary.
Ah, well, I'd be terribly old for you, Rushy. By twenty, gulp, one years, to be exact. I'm almost double you.
You don't look it.
Well, aren't you sweet. It's the Botox. And the gin. So what do you do when you're not working?
I like to lift weights at the gym, play basketball, watch movies and, every once in a while, read books. Depending on my mood, I like to catch up with family and friends over the phone since I can no longer see them in person on a daily basis.
Have you found a favorite non-profit here or favorite cause to support?
I joined the Kiwanis Club of South Paducah a month or so after I moved here.
Rushabh, that is so cool!
I like the fact that Kiwanians focus their efforts on helping underprivileged children, because I think it’s a shame to have to grow up in a harsh environment. The Kiwanis Club does a lot of community service, and I think everyone should give back to the community they live in.
Well, Rushabh Shah, you are just darling. Paducah is thrilled to have a hot new fella like you in town. Rock on, Mr. Mining Man, rock on!
